Annapolis (Maryland): Aruna Miller, a local of Hyderabad, made political historical past by changing into the first Indian-American politician to be elected as the lieutenant governor of the US state of Maryland.

On January 18, Miller was sworn in as the State’s tenth Lieutenant Governor.

In her inauguration speech, Miller, a 58-year-old transportation engineer by career, credited her success to her household, who had immigrated to the United States from India. Her father, a mechanical engineer, was the first to arrived in the US in the late 1960s as a scholar earlier than he introduced the relaxation of his household, and she or he arrived in the nation in 1972 as a 7-year-old. Upstate New York grew to become dwelling to her dad and mom and two siblings, a brother and a sister. Her father was an engineer for IBM, in accordance to a report in the Washington Post.

She was half of a historic Democratic ticket that sailed to victory in November final yr and in addition gave Maryland its first Black governor, its first Black lawyer common and its first feminine comptroller, the Post reported.

From 2010 till 2018, Miller served two phrases in the Maryland House of Delegates. According to the day by day, she beforehand ran for congress however was unsuccessful. During her oath-taking ceremony, an emotional Miller shared the story of her arrival from India and made a particular point out of her unforgettable first day of faculty.

“None of them looked like me. And I couldn’t speak a word of English, but I wanted to fit in. So when we went to the cafeteria, I had a plan. I was going to do exactly what everyone else was doing,” Miller recounted.

“So I ate American food for the first time. I drank cold milk for the first time in my life. I was feeling pretty good. I thought okay, I think I went over all these classmates of mine. They’re my friends now. I walked back to the classroom and proceeded to vomit all over the desk. I was mortified. My teacher called my mom who came to pick me up. And I told her I want to go back to grandma who raised me in India,” Miller recalled.

The newly appointed Lt. Governor, who took her oath on the Bhagwat Gita, mentioned that as a lady of color she spent most of her life making an attempt to match into an area that didn’t have her in thoughts as an immigrant or a lady of color.

Miller, who had turn into a US citizen in her 30s, mentioned, “As an Indian American legislator in a legislature that looked nothing like me. It took me a long time to realize that it was never about needing to fit into a space created by others. It was always about having the courage to be my authentic self in every space,”.

Miller expressed her gratitude to her dad and mom and siblings after taking the oath of workplace. “To my mom and dad who took a leap of faith to come to this country because they believed in the promise of America, to my siblings, you were the best part of my childhood. And I thank you and I love you for always being there,” she mentioned.

Miller’s victory can also be due to her reputation amongst Indian Americans in the state of Maryland the place a number of Republican, pro-Trump supporters got here out to lengthen their help to her.

Aruna Miller tweeted,” Maryland, I’m humbled and honored to be your Lieutenant Governor. We are solely simply getting began!”.

Maryland, I’m humbled and honored to be your Lieutenant Governor. We are solely simply getting began! pic.twitter.com/tUM0ai6Us7

— Aruna Miller (@arunamiller) January 18, 2023

Miller spent 25 years working for the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Transportation to enhance public security and create equitable transportation entry.

She represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2018, the place she labored to create laws to spend money on STEM schooling, streamline the regulatory course of for small companies and advocate for working households, survivors of home abuse and the atmosphere.

She participated in the US presidential election for the first time in 2000, the yr she was granted citizenship. Gradually, she was pulled in direction of the politics of the state of Maryland and the nation.